Almost as good as having your own private wine expert is this very timely curation of wines from the oenologists at Soif. Just in time to pair with your Thanksgiving meal is a specially-selected six-pack of wines for your holiday table. And itโs available right this very minute through Nov. 21 (better known as the day before Thanksgiving).
Soif Wine Curator Jon Bates and Retail Shop Manager Alexis Carr both had a hand in this rather exciting suite of wines from French and Italian producers. Reds, whites, plus a special sparkling red wine. The six-pack has been priced at $100, 20 percent off the individual retail prices. Sweet. โWe thought about every part of the meal when putting this six-pack together,โ says Bates, who believes that Thanksgiving celebration actually starts with the appetizers. โWe have chosen wines to pair all the way through dessert, but also made sure we included something for everyone to enjoy.โย
So hereโs the menu of special Soif wines: To start:ย 2015ย Jean-Franรงois Mรฉrieauย Fleuve Blancย Chenin BlancโLoire Valley; 2017ย Chรขteau Graville-Lacosteย Graves Blancย Sรฉmillon, Sauvignon Blanc, MuscadelleโBordeaux; and NVย Barboliniย Lambrusco di Sorbaraย LambruscoโEmilia-Romagna, Italy.ย
Then for the turkey and sides: 2015ย Domaine Camus-Bruchon & Filsย Bourgogne Rougeย Pinot Noirย from Burgundy, and aย 2015ย Domaine du Penloisย โSous lโaile du Moulinโ Moulin-ร -Ventย Gamay, Beaujolais.
To join dessert:ย the Soif team suggests a 2016ย Domaine de la Pigeadeย Muscat de Beaumes de Veniseย Musca from Franceโs Rhone Valley. The Thanksgiving six-packs are available for purchase at Soif (105 Walnut Ave.) in downtown Santa Cruz. The shop is open Monday from 5-8 p.m., Tuesday-Thursday from noon-8 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from noon-9 p.m.ย The shop will be closed on Thanksgiving Day.
More information soifwine.com, or call the wine shop at 423-2020.
Worst Product of the Week
For $5.99 you can stuff a mattress or create your own bullet-proof vest simply by using the contents of one package of Food for Life Gluten-Free Multi-Seed English Muffins.
The word โinedibleโ doesnโt do justice to the shocking toughness and blandness of these $1-a-piece miscreants. Incapable of being toastedโafter three passes through my toaster the product remained both tough and untoastedโthese muffins defy logic as well as good taste. These things will take out an entire row of teeth if youโre not careful. The only reason I purchased this over-priced package of oral outrageousness was because two of my favorite stores were out of the superior and delicious Canyon Bakehouse Gluten-Free Multi-grain English Muffins. So I thought, hey, how much different could these Food for Life muffins be? Night and day, thatโs how different. Caveat emptor!
Pumpkin Pie Fieldwork: Part II
From Kellyโs Bakery comes this all-star slice of pumpkin pie ($5 with a generous top-knot of real whipped cream). If this pie were an NBA player it would be the lovechild of Steph Curry and LeBron James. Firm filling with terrific spice balance, extra generosity in spicing spicesโcinnamon, allspice, clovesโso that you know youโre having a three-dimensional pumpkin pie experience. The crust is both delicious and tender. I would have been smug and happy to have baked this pie. Just a few more to go!
Avanti Sold!
Paul Geise confirmed the rumor that Westside landmark Ristorante Avanti has indeed been sold.
Paul and Cindy Geise plan to stay onsite until the end of the year while liquor license and escrow details are fine-tuned. โThirty-one years with this restaurant. Itโs bittersweet,โ admits the longtime restaurateur, who says Avanti will soon have new local owners.
















